Bay Street Brings 'The Crucible' to Sag Harbor This November

Literature Live! is back at Bay Street Theater for its 15th year, and this time, students and adults in the audience will witness the shocking events of Arthur Miller’s surprisingly timely play The Crucible. Directed by Bay Street Associate Artistic Director Will Pomerantz, the production runs November 9–26 for general audiences, with special free-for-schools performances beginning November 6.

The Crucible is set during the 17th-century witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts, drawing parallels to the Lavender Scare (suspected homosexuals) and second Red Scare (accused communists) witch hunts of McCarthyism, which Miller witnessed while writing the play in the 1950s. It explores themes of mass hysteria, deception, the consequences of false accusations and fear-based decisions, as well as love in a collapsing Puritan community.

Many of these issues are still experienced in one form or another in the present day. “It’s an interesting moment to do the play. There are so many things that come up in the play that are quite resonant right now — from the dangers of conspiracy theories to who defines what the truth is. How do we determine what the truth is when people have different ideas of reality? What are the challenges of a society that’s very male-dominated, and what happens to women within that society?” Pomerantz questions, pointing out that unmarried women of a certain age were the predominate target for accusations of witchcraft. “All good plays that touch something that is universal, they live on, because human beings, we like to think that we evolve and progress, but there are certain dangers that will always be present — and only more present or less present.”

The lessons to be learned from The Crucible are crucial to the development of the young social-media-saturated generation, and witnessing the play as live theater does a great deal to enhance the learning experience.

According to Pomerantz, the key difference between watching a play/film screening and seeing a show with live actors is the heightened level of engagement, and Bay Street’s Literature Live! program takes that engagement a step further by giving teachers and administrators the opportunity to register their school groups to see a free weekday performance, sending the group a study guide prior to the show and hosting a post-performance talkback and Q&A with the team.

“It really is a more complete experience than they would ever have just watching it on video, streaming or whatever that might be,” Pomerantz says. He notes that, growing up in a small town in Texas that wasn’t rich in arts, he didn’t experience The Crucible until he was a college undergrad watching a school performance starring graduate student Jane Lynch of future Glee fame. “I found it very gripping. … I think it’s a fantastic play for students and for the general public.”

Pomerantz’ directorial vision for The Crucible affirms that student engagement is a major priority. The play will be told in a “compact and compelling” way with modified costuming by Barbara Erin Delo that isn’t quite modern, but doesn’t include buckled shoes, pointy hats and other long-gone fashion trends foreign to today’s youth.

In addition to the witch hunt and the lessons to be learned therein, Pomerantz also hopes to draw out the love story between the characters of estranged spouses John and Elizabeth Proctor.

“It’s not a part of the play that’s talked about that much, but (The Crucible) is also a love story,” he emphasizes. “Within this whole series of events, the characters are super vivid. It’s really wonderful material for actors, and the play is really well constructed. I’m trying not to give away things, but once the mechanism of the plot starts in motion, it has this feeling of almost like a horror movie …”

The cast consists entirely of local professional actors, the work of which many adults in the audience will be familiar with. It features Allen O’Reilly, Kate Fitzgerald, Teresa DeBerry, Gabriel Portuondo, Sonnie Betts, Anna Francesca Schiavoni, Joe Pallister, Meg Gibson, Keith Reddin and Matthew Conlon. “I’m thrilled to share these actors’ work with the community. I think it’s going to be a really thrilling evening,” Pomerantz says.

Likewise, the show will feature a “very atmospheric and theatrical” original score by local composer David Brandenburg, and it will also feature the talents of Scenic Designer Mike Billings, Lighting Designer Justin Poruban and Production Stage Manager Michael Wizorek.

“All of these aspects are going to really raise the aesthetic stakes in a good way,” Pomerantz notes. “It’s my first time directing a Literature Live! production, so I’m excited about that, too. My work has only been here during the summer as a director, so I’m really thrilled to be part of the fall season.”

Another first for Pomerantz is directing a sensory-friendly performance. On Saturday, November 11 at 2 p.m., Bay Street will present a staging of The Crucible with lowered sound levels, toned-down lighting cues and additional house lighting to ensure a pleasant viewing experience for individuals with sensory sensitivities and other special needs. During this performance only, patrons may talk freely, get up from their seats or leave to take a break in the designated quiet space.

“I have a really wonderful assistant director on this project named Stefanie Anarumo. She has a strong background in sensory-diverse audiences and how to create these performances that are sensory-friendly,” Pomerantz explains. “We basically create two versions of the play — certainly in terms of the tech, the sound, technical aspects and the cueing — and then we substitute those sensory-friendly choices for that performance. … I’m proud that we’re doing it. (Bay Street) did it last year for the last Lit live!, and it was a big success and served part of our community that deserves to be served.”

Following previews and school-exclusive performances, The Crucible will celebrate its opening night with a red-carpet event on Saturday, November 11 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the public can be purchased at baystreet.org or by calling 631-725-9500. Free performances for school groups can be arranged by emailing allen@baystreet.org or by calling 631-725-0818.